Contents

Origin

After the disintegration of Kievan Rus' in the 12th century, the city
of Pskov with its surrounding
territories along the Velikaya River, Lake Peipus, Pskovskoye Lake and Narva River became a part of the Novgorod
Republic. It kept its special autonomous rights, including the
right for independent construction of suburbs (Izborsk is the most ancient among them). Due to
Pskov's leading role in the struggle against the Livonian Order,
its influence spread significantly. The long reign of Daumantas
(1266-99) and especially his victory in the Battle of
Rakvere (1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual
independence. The Novgorod boyars formally recognized Pskov's independence
in the Treaty of Bolotovo (1348),
relinquising their right to appoint the posadniks of Pskov. The city of Pskov remained
dependent on Novgorod only in ecclesiastical matters
until 1589, when a separate bishopric of Pskov was created and the
archbishops of Novgorod dropped Pskov from their title and were
created "Archbishops of Novgorod the Great and Velikie Luki".

Internal
organization

The Pskov Republic had well-developed farming, fishing, blacksmithing, jeweler’s art, and
construction industry. Exchange of commodities within the republic
itself and its trade with
Novgorod and other Russian cities, the Baltic region, and Western European
cities made Pskov one of the biggest handicraft and trade centers of Rus. As
opposed to Novgorod Republic, Pskov never had big feudal landowners, whose estates were smaller
and even more scattered than of those in Novgorod. The estates of
Pskovian monasteries and churches were much smaller, as well. The
social relations that had taken shape in the Pskov Republic were
reflected in the Legal Code of
Pskov. Peculiarities of the economy, centuries-old ties with Novgorod, frontier status, and military
threats led to the development of the veche system in the Pskov Republic. The knyazs played a subordinate role.
The veche elected posadniks and sotskiys (сотский -
initially, an official who represented a hundred households) and
regulated the relations between feudals, posad people, izborniks (изборник -
elected officials), and smerds
(peasants). The boyar council had a special influence on the
decisions of the veche, which gathered at the Trinity Cathedral.
The latter also held the archives of the veche and important private
papers and state documents. The elective offices became a privilege
of several noble families. During the most dramatic moments in the
history of Pskov, however, the so called "molodshiye" posad people
(молодшие посадские люди, or low-ranking posad officials)
played an important and, at times, decisive role in the veche. The
struggle between the boyars and smerds, "molodshiye" and "bolshiye"
posad people (high-ranking posad officials) was reflected in the heresy of the Strigolniki in the 14th
century and veche debates of the 1470s-1490s, which often ended
with bloody clashes.

In 1510, Grand Prince of Moscow Vasili
III arrived in Pskov and pronounced it his votchina, thus, putting an end to the Pskov
Republic and autonomous rights. The city's ruling body, Pskov
Veche, was dissolved and some 300 families of rich Pskovians were
deported from the city. Their estates were distributed among the Muscoviteservice
class people. From that time on, the city of Pskov and the
lands around it continued to develop as a part the centralized
Russian state, preserving some of its economic and cultural
traditions.

The downfall of Pskov is recounted in the Muscovite Story of
the Taking of Pskov (1510), which was lauded by D.S.
Mirsky as "one of the most beautiful short stories of Old
Russia. The history of the Muscovites' leisurely perseverance is
told with admirable simplicity and art. An atmosphere of descending
gloom pervades the whole narrative: all is useless, and whatever
the Pskovites can do, the Muscovite cat will take its time and eat
the mouse when and how it pleases".[1].